Tag Archive for: car maintenance

Mistakes People Make When Looking After Their Car

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It does not matter what sort of vehicle you have, it is imperative that you look after it properly. After all, a car represents a considerable investment. The last thing you want is to throw your money down the drain because you have not looked after it properly. With that being said, in this blog post, we are going to take a look at some of the biggest mistakes people make when looking after their vehicle so that you can avoid making the same errors.

Not having it serviced regularly – There is only one place to begin, and this is with not having your vehicle serviced on a regular basis. A lot of people do not do this because they think it is going to be a waste of money. They do not want to spend money on their car when there is nothing wrong with it. Nevertheless, if you simply wait and wait until something goes wrong, you are only going to end up spending more money in the process. With servicing, you can ensure that your car runs efficiently and that any problems are picked up on quickly before they turn into bigger and more expensive ones.

 

Getting Complacent Behind The Wheel 

 This is an obvious point but one that a lot of people have trouble with. It’s easy to become complacent on the road when you’ve been doing it for so long. This means treating the car like it’s invincible and also misbehaving on the road. Needing a car accident lawyer isn’t fun when you end up getting into a little trouble. The ultimate way of looking after your car is to simply not get into situations that could cause serious harm. 

Choosing cheap spare parts – Aside from not getting your vehicle serviced on a regular basis, you need to make sure that you replace car parts with genuine replicas. One of the biggest mistakes people make is replacing their vehicle parts with cheap alternatives, which can actually damage the vehicle. This is especially the case if you choose second hand parts that have not been created with the make and model of your car in mind. 

Believing your car is stronger than it really is – Something that newer drivers are guilty of. Because people think their car is a big and strong machine, it’s going to withstand most of what you throw at it. But when you start to dress up your car with alloy wheels and new bumpers, you’d better have that alloy wheel repair supplier on standby! Your car can save you in a crash, but even a little scratch could cost hundreds in repair fees. Your car is not invincible.

Not choosing a mechanic with care – Another mistake people make is failing to take the time to do their research when it comes to choosing a car mechanic. There are so many different mechanics available today, yet they do not all provide a service of a good standard. This is why you need to do your research, and the Internet can help with this. Make sure you check out independent review platforms so that you can read comments that have been left by others. By using independent review platforms, you can be sure that the comments left are genuine and that they have not been manufactured by the company themselves. 

As you can see, there are a number of different mistakes that people tend to make when it comes to looking after their vehicle. If you can avoid the mistakes that have been discussed in this blog post, you can give yourself the best chance of making sure that your car lasts for as long as possible and runs efficiently in the process.

Not starting their car properly in winter

If your car has a valid MOT then it either has electronic fuel injection or a battery (or both if it’s a hybrid). It doesn’t matter if your car is a used Pentagon Vauxhall or an ultra-modern, self-driving city smart car. Those are the only two options and neither of them benefits from leaving the engine idling “to warm up”.

If your car has electronic fuel injection, then the way to start it in winter is just to put it in gear and drive off slowly. Give it five minutes or so and then start building up the speed (keeping it safe obviously). After about 10 minutes or so, you should be able to hit your regular cruising speed.

If your car has a battery, then, in principle, you should just be able to turn it on and go. In practice, your best chance of this happening is to make sure that your battery is on the maximum charge. Winter means cold weather and cold weather drains batteries quickly. This means that you should take every possible opportunity to give your car battery a charge.

It’s also a smart move to ensure that you have something in your boot to help your car tyres to grip when you move off from stationary. If you live in an area with regular, heavy snow then proper snow chains are a good investment. Just make sure you’re clear on the law about using them. For everybody else, rubber mats or old carpet will usually get the job done.

How To Best Avoid The Depreciation Of Your Motor

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Depreciation is a sad word to hear for any car enthusiast. Unfortunately, when you buy a brand spanking new vehicle, it starts to depreciate at a crazy rate the minute that you get behind the wheel. In the first few years, it’s estimated that new cars can lose up to half their value. Never fear, all is not lost. There are a few things that you can do to combat the beast of depreciation!

Do your research first

So this one starts before you’ve actually bought the thing! If you do a little research, you’ll discover that some cars will depreciate slower than others. Choose wisely and your off to a good start. According to Auto Express magazine, some of the slowest depreciating cars include the Porsche Panamera, the Volkswagen California and the Porsche 717 Cayman. 

How to reduce depreciation 

To reduce the depreciation of your vehicle, it’s essential to consider the mileage that you are ramping up. While you won’t want to avoid driving too much; of course the higher mileage on your car, the less it will be worth. Consider that the average mileage is about 10,000 miles per year. To avoid a drop in value, you may want to stick to the average or below. As well as this, you’ll want to make sure that you get your car serviced as regularly as possible. The closer that you stick to your service schedule, the better. 

It’s vital to repair any damage to the car as soon as possible. It’s a great idea to purchase a used car or a ‘nearly new’ car. Doing so means that the depreciation stages will have already occurred prior to your ownership. Although the value has previously reduced- you won’t be the one who has lost any cash! You also should perform regular maintenance checks of your vehicle. Whether your car is new or used, you’ll want to keep it in the best working order. If you’re looking to make a purchase, sites like Really Easy Car Credit offer lots of attractive and easy to access options. 

Maintenance checks & upkeep 

Check your tyres at least every couple of weeks. You need to ensure the correct pressure and check the spare tyre while you’re at it. Always make certain that your tread adheres to the correct legal measurements. Carry a wheel removing kit and a jack if your car has a spare wheel. You may also want to keep a locking wheel nut key with your tools. Keep an eye on your power steering; have the garage top up your hydraulic fluid on each service. You can also consistently check its levels yourself. Check over the bodywork often to look for signs of rust. You need to watch out for rust as it’s not just ` a cosmetic damage. When ignored over time, rust can cause corrosive damage to your car parts. 

Depreciation is a pain, but buying a used car can take off the financial pressure. It’s also worth looking into the depreciation rates of each vehicle that you are considering. Overall, the better care you take of your car- the less you will be contributing to devaluing it!

6 Effective Ways To Combat Car Depreciation

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A car is a significant investment. In fact, it’s one of the largest you’ll likely make throughout your entire life, usually second only to real estate. However, unlike many other investments, a vehicle won’t hold it’s value. Instead, it begins to depreciate the moment you drive it away. This means that, if you were ever to sell your car, you’d lose a lot of money in the process. There’s no way to avoid this, but you can reduce it. With that in mind, here are six ways to combat car depreciation.

Choose A Neutral Color

Bright colors and bold patterns may reflect your personality, but they’re not to everyone’s tastes. This means that they could affect the resale value of your car, or, worse still, make it incredibly difficult to sell. Because of this, you should stick to neutral tones when purchasing vehicles or, if you can’t, give your car a standard color paint job before putting it up for sale.

 

Pick The Right Modifications

Most would assume that modifications and customizations are an effective way to increase the value of your car, but that isn’t always true. Although some do this, like upgrading the engine or replacing the number plate, many more that fail to carry their value. These include larger wheels, costly sound systems, and other typical boy racer type add-ons.

 

Follow The Maintenance Schedule

The very best way to increase your car’s resale value is to look after it. This means sticking to the maintenance schedule in the owner’s manual. Ideally, your vehicle should be serviced by a specialist. If you have a Land Rover, for example, that would mean a company like LRC 4×4 Limited. Their diagnostic equipment and knowledge mean your car would be in safe hands.

 

Keep A Low Mileage

The number of miles that your car has seen plays a big part in its value. Because of this, it’s vital that you keep the mileage of the vehicle as low as you can. The simplest way to do this is to avoid long distance journeys. Use your car for driving to work and around your city alone and rent a different one if you need to go any further. At the very least, you should steer clear of road trips.

 

Watch How You Drive

Unfortunately, it’s not just how far you drive, but how you drive that affects depreciation. Cars that have been driven badly are usually discovered during test drives. They don’t brake, accelerate, or turn corners effectively, which would naturally put off any buyers. To avoid this, you must learn how to drive better. This means stopping any harsh braking and sticking to the speed limits.

 

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Store In The Garage

Cars that are left on driveways or roads are put at a lot of risks. They could be stolen, vandalized, or damaged by other drivers and the elements. For this reason, you should keep your vehicle in the garage instead. This is particularly important if you live in an area with high crime or harsh weather. If you don’t have a garage, then consider renting one or investing in better security.

 

No car owner can avoid depreciation completely, but with the advice above, you can significantly reduce it.